From the Liveblog of
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Ben Gvir blames AG for refusing to authorize immediately sealing Jerusalem terrorist’s home
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir assails Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for not authorizing security forces to seal the home of the Palestinian terrorist who killed seven Israelis in Jerusalem last night.
“It is possible to seal the home right away,” Ben Gvir tells reporters outside a hospital in Jerusalem after visiting victims of the attack.
He said he sat with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu throughout the night going over legal precedents that would allow Israel to seal the home immediately.
“The prime minister approved, and we made a decision to immediately seal the home. The chief of staff and police commissioner were also in favor,” Ben Gvir claims.
The far-right minister says at 8 a.m. a formal request was given to Baharav-Miara to approve forces sealing the East Jerusalem home. He claims she has not yet given a response.
“It’s not a demolition, it’s just sealing. I was shocked to find that until now, she isn’t allowing [us] to seal the home,” Ben Gvir says.
“In my opinion, it is terrible, it can’t be, this harms Israeli civilians,” he adds.
Sealing the homes of attackers is often a replacement for demolishing them. In general, the process takes several months. The home needs to be mapped out, the High Court must deny appeals by the family, and security forces often wait for an optimal time to enter Palestinian cities for the operation.
